Workers Suicides Make News Again At Apple Contractors Plant

Ever thought of the human costs to those working for such companies as Apple who employ contractors in Asia?

Well, it seems that suicides within the telecomms and high tech industries continue as multi-national companies fight for huge profits, and to be ahead in the market. They appear at the same time turning a blind eye to the fate of the people producing their mobile phones and computers.

First, we had France Telecom and now its the turn of the suppliers to Apple who produce the I-phone.

This week's TUC Risks once again highlights the human cost with the suicide of another worker employed by a contractor to Apple, Foxconn Technology. This was the sixth employee suicide this year!

The Risks article reports that, "... the giant contractor that manufacturers the iPhone and other brand name consumer electronics, has defended its employment standards after the suicide death of an eighth worker. 'We regret to see the recurrence of such incidents,' Foxconn said in statement that came a day after a 24-year-old Foxconn factory worker surnamed Chu killed herself by jumping from her rented apartment in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

It goes on to state that, "The company has attracted wide attention from the Chinese media following a spate of suicides among young Chinese working at its mammoth Shenzhen factory complex, where some 300,000 are employed."

The latest suicide came days after a 24-year-old male factory worker surnamed Lu killed himself by jumping from a building inside the complex." it says, and continues:

"The most notorious Foxconn suicide came in July 2009 when 25-year-old Sun Danyong jumped from his high-rise apartment after being interrogated over a missing iPhone prototype. Foxconn makes products for leading Western companies including the Mac mini, the iPod, the iPad, and the iPhone for Apple, Intel-branded motherboards for Intel Corp and motherboards for UK computer manufacturer Zoostorm."

The news has been highly publicised in the States with CBC News website reporting:

"A week ago, a 24-year-old male factory worker surnamed Lu committed suicide by jumping from a building inside the complex. The most notable Foxconn suicide came last July when 25-year-old Sun Danyong jumped from his high-rise apartment after being interrogated over a missing iPhone prototype."

On claims that employees where being overworked at the plant, it says: " Apple investigated claims of abusive Foxconn employment practices stemming from a June 2006 complaint, and found the claims to be largely unfounded. However, it did conclude that some employees were working more than Foxconn's mandated maximum during peak production times, and that as many as a quarter of workers were not getting at least one day off a week."

Source: TUC Risks / CBC News

 

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